A summary of daily news relevant to the federal workforce produced by the Partnership for Public Service.       

1. Is Your Job Recession-Proof?
2. Federal Diary: OPM Calls for Short-Term Disability Insurance
3. Morale at CDC Shows Healthy Improvement  

Is Your Job Recession-Proof?

Though it's difficult to predict exactly how the year will pan out, weak job growth, a slowing economy and troubled housing markets all point to signs of an economic recession. The good news for job seekers is that employers are still hiring and certain industries will survive (even thrive) during hard times.

Thirty-two percent of employers plan to add full-time, permanent employees in 2008, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey. Most employers are cautious, but anticipate a slower, yet steady hiring environment.

"Many job seekers make the mistake of attempting a career change during downturns," says John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement consultancy. "This can be a career-crippling move. It is much better to focus on transferring your current occupations skills to industries that remain healthy."

While some industries, including retail, manufacturing, finance and technology, are vulnerable during recessions, Challenger says there are always industries that seem "recession-resistant," based on different trends at the time of the slowdown.

"Do not make the mistake of thinking that only those with industry-specific skills will be in demand. Hospitals not only need nurses and physical therapists, they need administrators and information technology workers," Challenger says. "Firms specializing in information security need accountants and marketing professionals in addition to computer programmers. There should be a wide variety of opportunities in the industries that remain strong through the slowdown."

Are you working in a recession-proof business? Here is a list of industries expected to offer the best opportunities for job seekers during the predicted slump, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Industry No. 1: Education

With more teachers retiring and an increasing number of students enrolling in grades K-12, the demand for skilled teachers is rising. The National Center for Education Statistics predicts that in the next eight years, 2.8 million teachers must join the existing 3.2 million teachers because of retirements, higher enrollment and teacher turnover.

Don't Miss other thriving jobs in education: Administrators, independent consultants and sales executives to supply text books and other learning materials.

Industry No. 2: Energy

The oil industry faces 80 percent of its work force reaching retirement age in the next decade, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. As a result, jobs related to oil and gas, alternative and renewable energy, and even nuclear energy are likely to see job growth at a steady pace.

Other thriving jobs in energy: Geoscientists, nuclear power reactor operators and engineers.

Industry No. 3: Environmental sector

The environmental industry created 5.3 million jobs in 2005, according to a United Nations report. As concerns about global warming swell, more and more companies are "going green" and will hire engineers and scientists to develop "green" technology. They'll also need guidance for becoming more eco-friendly.

Other thriving jobs in the environmental sector: Environmental consultants, program managers and attorneys.

Industry No. 4: Health care

Nearly half of the 30 fastest growing jobs are in health services, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some of these jobs include medical assistants, physical therapists and home health aides.

Employers in California entice nurses with $7,500 signing bonuses for hard-to-fill jobs and $3,500 for traditional positions, according to the California Jobs Journal. They're also providing $3,000 annually for continuing education and relocation reimbursement, as well as time off to pursue professional interests, overtime pay and the option to work 12-hour shifts with four days off per week.

Other thriving jobs in health care: Physician assistants, medical records and health information technicians, and personal and home care aides.

Industry No. 5: Security

There will always be a need for security, whether it's in airports, at US borders or in a company protecting vital information. The Defense and Homeland Security departments need to fill an estimated 83,000 jobs over the next two years, according to a 2007 report by the Partnership for Public Service.

Other thriving jobs in security: Transportation security, information security managers and computer programmers.

OPM Calls for Short-Term Disability Insurance

The Washington Post
By Stephen Barr

Federal employee benefits include medical insurance, life insurance and long-term care insurance -- but not short-term disability insurance.

That missing link rarely gets much attention, in large part because most federal employees have built up enough sick leave and vacation time to cover ailments and injuries that require modest time off. New employees, though, may be short on paid leave.

To close the benefits gap, the Office of Personnel Management submitted a proposal to Congress this month calling for a short-term disability insurance program that would provide coverage on a voluntary basis and with premiums paid by the employees, not the government.

"We believe this proposal will make the federal government more competitive in the employment marketplace by allowing employees the opportunity to enhance their financial protections whether due to planned maternity or due to unexpected illness or injury," Linda M. Springer, OPM director, wrote in a letter to Congress.

The OPM proposal provides an alternative to legislation that would provide federal employees with eight weeks of paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) has championed paid parental leave, and Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) have proposed providing paid family leave to workers of the nation's largest employers and the government.

At a hearing this month on parental leave, Nancy H. Kichak, an OPM associate director, said the OPM's proposal offered a more comprehensive approach that would make it more attractive to employees.

The OPM has not designed a specific short-term disability benefit, she said. The agency will review benefits offered by companies, such as replacing 60 percent of an employee's wages for up to 12 weeks. Federal employees would pay about $1,000 annually for that coverage, she estimated.

Private-sector disability benefits vary in coverage and cost. Many cover workers for up to 26 weeks, though the duration of benefits can range from 13 to 52 weeks. Premiums may be linked to an employee's salary and may involve waiting periods before benefits can be collected.

The OPM's proposal is in keeping with a model established by the agency earlier for federal long-term care insurance and federal dental and visions benefits: Employees pay for the costs of the benefits that are provided through contracts that the OPM has negotiated with insurance companies.

The premiums are based on group coverage, which keeps costs down, according to the OPM.

It appears unlikely that the OPM proposal can make it through Congress soon because Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), chairman of the House federal workforce subcommittee, said he plans to order a study on disability benefits.

Davis said he will add an amendment to Maloney's bill that would direct the Government Accountability Office to study the feasibility of providing disability benefits to federal employees and analyze disability benefits currently offered by state and local governments and the private sector.

Morale at CDC Shows Healthy Improvement

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Alison Young

For the first time since a controversial reorganization was launched five years ago, employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they have improved respect for the agency's senior leaders, new federal survey results show.

The agency has been under scrutiny for much of that time, especially after five former CDC directors sent an unprecedented joint letter of concern about employee morale to CDC Director Julie Gerberding in December 2005. Members of Congress have investigated, worried that the agency's ability to protect the public was being harmed by the chaos. Survey results released Monday show that although the percentage of employees who view the Atlanta-based agency positively remains low on some key indicators, their numbers grew during 2007. As in previous years, CDC employees reported generally liking their individual jobs and view the work they do as important.

"Overall, I'm pleased and encouraged by the progress, especially in the areas we targeted for improvement," Gerberding said in a written statement. "We certainly have more work to do, and this survey will help us focus those efforts."

In 2003, Gerberding launched a controversial reorganization of the CDC, creating turmoil within the agency, poor morale and an exodus of key scientific leaders. With the reorganization settling into place, top CDC officials last year said they believed morale was improving.

They also have contended that the reorganization was only one factor in poor CDC morale; others included budget cuts and federal rules beyond the CDC's control.

Before the reorganization, in 2002, nearly 91 percent of CDC employees said they knew how their work related to the agency's goals and priorities. That number plunged to below 76 percent in 2006. In the new 2007 survey, it rose to 82 percent.

Just 48 percent of CDC employees have a high level of respect for senior leaders, according to the new survey, up from 41 percent in 2006.

While just 37.5 percent felt the CDC's leaders generate high levels of motivation and commitment in the work force, that's 7 percentage points above 2006.

"Anytime there's some improvement, that's good news in any agency," said Jeffrey Levi, executive director of the Trust for America's Health, a public health watchdog group based in Washington. "I think the job satisfaction numbers that are related to leadership are still very disturbing."

The Human Capital Survey of the CDC's 8,908 federal employees was conducted in November and December; 44 percent responded. Among the survey's other findings:

• 87 percent believe the work they do is important — a response that has been high since 2004.
• More than 80 percent like the kind of work they do, believe the people they work with cooperate to get the job done and believe their supervisor supports balancing work and family issues.
• These scores have remained about the same since 2 Fewer than 41 percent said they were satisfied with their involvement in decisions affecting their work, down from 50 percent in 2004.
• Just 39 percent felt that promotions were based on merit, up slightly from 2006.

"There's a lot at stake for the public in having the most effective CDC possible, so anything that can be done to improve and sustain employee morale is very important," U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley said Monday. Grassley (R-Iowa) has been monitoring CDC morale issues for years.